athletes 102 Athletes Who Failed Drug Tests

Many professional athletes are held to a higher standard when it comes to using recreational and performance-enhancing drugs. Athletes who failed drug tests are sometimes chided as bad role models, and are occasionally even forced to renounce their titles due to drug use. Several famous MMA fighters, MLB players, and NFL stars have failed drug tests. Some of these athletes tested positive for recreational drugs, like marijuana and cocaine, while others tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, like steroids and human growth hormones.

Who is the most famous athlete who failed a drug test? Alex Rodriguez tops our list. In 2006, A-Rod failed a drug test when testosterone and primobolan showed up in his results. Lance Armstrong admitted to using Erythropoietin (EPO), Human Growth Hormone, testosterone, Cortisone and blood transfusions. He also failed four drug tests back in 1999. In 2012, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps admitted to smoking marijuana.

Ricky Williams tested positive for cannabis and other drugs in 2006. Ken Shamrock tested positive for Stanozolol, 19-Norandrosterone and 19-Noretiocholanolone in 2009. Chris Andersen was kicked out of the NBA for violating the league's drug policy in 2006. Wes Welker was suspended for four games for taking MDMA in 2014. Lyle Alzado admitted to taking Anabolic steroids and blamed the drugs for his cancer diagnoses. He died from brain lymphoma in 1992.

Are you surprised that so many professional athletes failed drug tests? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Nick Diaz

Photo: via PinterestIn 2015, UFC welterweight Nick Diaz tested positive for marijuana in the third drug-related offense of his career, leading the Nevada State Athletic Commission to ban him from the sport for five years.

Photo: via WikimediaBarry Bonds was suspended when he tested positive for Amphetamines as he was a first offender. In 2008, information came out that alleged that Bonds had failed several drug tests, testing positive for steroids.

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